Learning XML, Second Edition (Paperback)

by Erik Ray (Author)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Although Learning XML covers XML rather broadly, it nevertheless presents the key elements of the technology with enough detail to familiarize the reader with this crucial markup language. This guide is brief enough to tackle in a weekend.

Author Erik T. Ray begins with an excellent summary of XML's history as an outgrowth of SGML and HTML. He outlines very clearly the elements of markup, demystifying concepts such as attributes, entities, and namespaces with numerous clear examples. To illustrate a real-world XML application, he gives the reader a look at a document written in DocBook--a publicly available XML document type for publishing technical writings--and explains the sections of the document step by step. A more simplified version of DocBook is used later in the book to illustrate transformation--a powerful benefit of XML.

The all-important Document Type Definition (DTD) is covered in depth, but the still-unofficial alternative, XML Schema, is only briefly addressed. The author makes liberal use of graphics, tables, and code to demonstrate concepts along the way, keeping the reader engaged and on track. Ray also goes deep into some discussion of programming XML utilities with Perl.

Learning XML is a very readable introduction to XML for readers with existing knowledge of markup and Web technologies. It meets its goals very well--to deliver a broad perspective of XML and its potential. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

• XML overview
• XPointer
• XLink
• XHTML
• Presentation with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
• Document Type Definitions (DTDs)
• XML Schemas
• Transformation with XSLT
• Internationalization
• Simple API for XML (SAX)

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"...this is not a skimpy overview of XML, but rather a complete introduction to Extensible Markup Language that quickly provides the web developer with a grounding in both how to use it, and what to use it for. The beginner will appreciate the outlining of markup elements, the demystification of concepts, and the code examples aplenty to play with. Those with a basic understanding will like the lack of bloat, and will still find it a useful reference to dip back into when hit by an attack of 'what the heck to I do now', which we all know only too well. Whether you need to get to grips with core concepts, top up your knowledge of Xlink and Xpointer specs, go back to language syntax basics or investigate schemas such as W3C Schema, Schmatron and RELAX-NG, you'll find it all here." Davey Winder, PC Plus, March (7/10)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.; 2 edition (September 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596004206
• ISBN-13: 978-0596004200
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #109,009 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This item is part of The O'Reilly Learning Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Suggested New Title: Anatomy of XML, March 1, 2003

By	Jase T. Wolfe - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Learning XML (Paperback)

By page 177 I realized that I was never going to touch a keyboard while reading this book. I can't speak for everyone, but when I pick up a book expecting to learn the topic, I need theory, reference, examples and structured "assignments". This title offers the first three, but I never get to apply what I am learning hands-on in a graduated fashion. When I am finished, I have little more than the ability to recognize the components of XML. Just because you can recognize all the foods in a grocery store, and know the origins of all the spices on your spice rack, doesn't mean you can cook; the same principal applies here. I am fully aware that XML is comprised of many different elements, and many of the XML development environments are very expensive, but many are free and could have been used to teach the concept clearer.

The title also has many errors, so the errata list on the publisher's web site is important. The book does not include any of the source code, so if you want that, you have to download it. Even then, it is not complete and file titles in the book do not always match the provided code file names.

If you are looking for a hands-on book to learn XML, this isn't the title. If you know XML and are looking for a reference, again - not for you. However, if you are interested in it from more of an administrative overview position, then the title is worth the read. It can provide many answers and give a good base of information without the need to actually write any XML on your own.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good transition book from HTML, CSS --> XML, June 12, 2001

By	Tuesday Frase (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Learning XML (Paperback)

SHORT: I highly recommend this book if you know HTML and have some exposure to CSS; it's a good intro book to XML, which is what it's intended to be. The end result is that you'll know enough to get started with more technical books, and where to go for available web resources.

LONGER: The reasons that other people have given for not liking this book are some of the same reasons that I find it useful. I'm pretty well-versed in HTML and have some basic understanding of JavaScript and Cascading Style Sheets. This book goes into detail about both and gives comparisons and evolutions that involve XML. I'm about halfway through it at the moment, and it's giving me a clear, not-to-technical view of XML. The other books I have go straight into the code, telling me HOW but not really explaining the WHY of everything. That's what makes this book great to me. The first half deals with explanation and presentation, while the last half is more code-heavy. The two other books I have strive to be highly technical, but proved to be a bit overwhelming for me as a complete newbie to the subject of XML.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for programmers using XML, August 22, 2001

By	Alex J. Avriette "Alex Avriette" (Arlington, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Learning XML (Paperback)

I am a C, Unix Shell, and Perl programmer. This means that I have a lot of interaction with XML.

I'm not really interested in sitting down and learning XML because I wouldnt actually go and write it myself. There are plenty of perl modules (XML::Parser, XML::Twig, and so on) that will do that for me. However, I wanted to have some understanding of what XML actually was, and how to read it if I were presented in it.

This book started very slow and very easily, and moved into some more advanced (if a little more dry) subject matter. The author uses witty, enjoyable examples, and is very clear at all times about what is being explained.

I would recommend this to most programmers who want to just "know what XML is all about," as it isnt particularly technical (if you are just skimming), and its technical enough for people to get into if need be. It also covers most topics very thoroughly.

Another gem from OReilly.